B4J Tutorial [Example]Using the Within Class Full Access Feature

When my assumptions are challenged I listen.
We all know Public variables and subs in a class are available to procedures external to the class.
But recently I learned from @LucaMs that Private variables and subs are also available to instances of class within the definition of that class.

https://www.b4x.com/android/forum/threads/private-class-variable-visibility.133677/

Access to private members of other instances of a class can be risky but also powerful and interesting. I decided to explore how this feature could be used safely.

Let's take an example from @LucaMs's thread. A person class has multiple instances, including one person who acts as a registrar.
All variables are Private to the outside world. Some methods are available to to all members, other methods should be restricted to the registrar.
The technique shown in the code below demonstrate how this can be achieved with this feature.

Private Sub B4XPage_Created (Root1 As B4XView)
    Root = Root1
    Root.LoadLayout("MainPage")
    Dim registrar As clsPerson
    Dim people As String = _
$"
Charlie, 20000
Francine, 30000
Malcome, 300000
Angela, 120000
"$
    registrar.Initialize("William", "Admin1234*")
    registrar.Register(people)

    registrar.AllPersons("Admin1234*")
  
    Log("------------")
    registrar.SalaryOf("Charlie", "Admin1234*")
    Log("------------")
    Dim Francine As clsPerson = registrar.getPerson("Francine", "Admin1234*")
    Log(Francine.Colleagues)

    Dim Charlie As clsPerson = registrar.getPerson("Charlie", "Admin1234*")
    Log(Charlie.Colleagues)
    Log("------------")
  
    Log(Charlie.AllPersons(""))
End Sub

And in the clsPerson definition:

Sub Class_Globals
    Private mName As String
    Private mSalary As Double
    Private mRegister As List
    Private mRegistrar As clsPerson
    Private mPassword As String
    Private mMapByName As Map
End Sub

Public Sub Initialize(name As String, password As String)
    mPassword = password
    mName = name
    mSalary = "NaN"
    If password<>"" Then
        mRegister.Initialize
        mRegistrar = Me
        mRegister.Add(Me)
        mMapByName.Initialize
        mMapByName.Put(mName, Me)
    End If
End Sub

Public Sub Register(people As String)
    Dim v() As String = Regex.Split(CRLF, people)
    For Each s As String In v
        Dim w() As String = Regex.Split(",", s)
        If w.Length = 2 Then
            Dim person As clsPerson
            person.Initialize(w(0), "")
            person.mSalary = w(1)
            mRegister.Add(person)
            person.mRegistrar = mRegistrar
            mMapByName.Put(w(0), person)
        End If
    Next
End Sub

Public Sub AllPersons(password As String)
    If password = mPassword And mRegister.isInitialized Then
        For Each person As clsPerson In mRegister
            Log(person.mName & TAB & person.mSalary)
        Next
    Else
        Log("Access Denied")
    End If
End Sub

Public Sub SalaryOf(name As String, password As String)
    If password = mPassword And mRegister.isInitialized Then
        Log(name & TAB & mMapByName.Get(name).As(clsPerson).mSalary)
    Else
        Log("Access Denied")
    End If
End Sub

Public Sub getPerson(name As String, password As String) As clsPerson
    If password = mPassword And mRegister.isInitialized Then
        Return mMapByName.Get(name)
    Else
        Log("Access Denied")
        Return Null
    End If
End Sub

Public Sub Colleagues As List
    Dim theList As List
    theList.Initialize
    For Each person As clsPerson In mRegistrar.mRegister
        If person.mName <> mName Then theList.Add(person.mName)
    Next
    Return theList
End Sub

 

[LucaMs]

I can't see where you access a private variable of a clsPerson object.

In that specific case, it would be useful to have inheritance (clsPerson and clsRegister (or clsAdmin) which would inherit from clsPerson).


[The final "End Sub" of AllPersons method and the Colleagues method are missing]

 

[William Lancee]

Argh.

My cut and paste was incomplete. I've edited #1. Take a look at Sub Colleagues.

Sub AllPersons also references the private mName and mSalary of other instances.

I do appreciate the power of inheritance.

 

[LucaMs]

Sub AllPersons also references the private mName and mSalary of other instances.

However, the example does not demonstrate the usefulness of being able to access those two private variables, because in a real implementation they would be properties (therefore public) of the clsPerson class.

 

[William Lancee]

Do you want person A to see and to change salary of person B.

 

[LucaMs]

Do you want person A to see and to change salary of person B.

You're right!